Jealousy
by Djap
Summary: BETAD Captain Shakespeare x Skinny  his first Mate  Shakespeare wants to get it on with Humphrey, but sudenly his whole crew starts behaving strangely


**JEALOUSY**

**A STARDUST FANFICTION**

**PAIRING**: Captain Shakespeare x his first mate: Skinny (I'll use Nathaniel as his name, because I read it in a story of **sexyspork** and quite liked it.)

**DEDICATION: **to **sexyspork** for I adore your fanfictions about this pairing; I really hope you'll finish 'The tameness of a wolf 'one day, because I'd really love to read it.

**AUTHOR**: Djap

**RATING**: NC17

**GENRE**: Romance, First Time

**BETA: Neenabluegirl** – thank you for your great work

**LANGUAGE**: English

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own the boys and I won't make any money with them.

…

**Jealousy**

**a Djap story**

…

"Skinny?"

Captain Shakespeare addressed his first mate, rubbing his hands with glee over the things to come. He was preparing his room to welcome his guest who would arrive within the next hour.

"Make sure that no one will disturb me and my guest."

His first mate stood motionless in the middle of the room, wearing the same weary look he often got whenever the poet showed under the surface of the captain.

"No."

The simple answer stopped the captain dead in his tracks. In all his years as captain of the Caspartine he'd never once heard any crew member contradict his command before.

"What did you just say? I must have heard you wrong." William finally said; his insecurity mixed with anger was suffocating him.

"You understood me very well, Captain."Skinny finally drawled, looking defiant and crossing his arms.

For a moment he didn't know how he should react, because he'd never needed to hide his softer side from Skinny, who knew him longer than anybody else on the Caspartine. He was the only crew member who'd served under his father and knew him when he was nothing but a young teenager who desperately rebelled against Captain Stormbreaker.

Shakespeare was surprised as his captain persona answered enraged by this open show of subordination "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the man who helped maintain your reputation for over thirty years in the face of everything that mattered, Captain."

Skinny looked smug and Shakespeare was astonished at this open show of confidence in his presence. The only things his first mate usually took pride in were his fighting and drinking abilities.

"What makes you think I won't punish you for this?"

Skinny lifted his head even more in defiance, his chin jutting out, eyes blazing while he spat.

"I'd rather be punished than follow that order!"

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Tristan and Yvaine were one thing – this… oily… whelp… is quite another!"

"How dare you…? The penalty for insubordination is death." and for the first time when Shakespeare spoke those words, he felt real anger burn his intestines.

"So be it."

Skinny's eyes opened wide as Shakespeare grabbed his arm and pulled him on deck and then down again to the cells. He shoved his First Mate, who didn't put up any protest into the cells and locked the door.

"Now tell me what the hell has gotten into you, or you'll stay here to rot." Shakespeare growled, real rage obvious in his voice.

Skinny's lips thinned out even more and he sat heavily down on the floor of the cell with his legs crossed and his back to the wall.

"If you can't figure it out for yourself, I should probably stop calling you Captain after all."

These last words stung the most and Shakespeare practically fled the room as he couldn't stand Skinny's defiance any second longer.

He felt the eyes of his crew on him, when he emerged on the deck, but refused to say anything to his men. He fled to his cabin where he locked the door behind him.

For a few minutes nothing happened; then the shivering started. His whole body was suddenly a quivering mass, the betrayal of his most loyal servant a low blow to his new found self esteem.

What the hell had gotten into Skinny? He'd always been loyal to him and he'd never once refused to follow his command.

William's gaze fell on the watch and he realized in shock, that Humphrey would arrive in about half an hour. He needed to get dressed properly if he ever wanted to have a chance with this. It had been ages since he'd been intimate with anybody and he'd nearly forgotten how good it could make you feel. He hadn't been able to believe his luck when he'd met the other man at Tristan's coronation. He was so beautiful and he'd responded to his advances very quickly.

This was supposed to be their first night together and Skinny had to choose this day to…

Shakespeare shook his head to clear it from those somber thoughts and tried to focus. He could deal with his first mate later, after Humphrey's visit. William strolled over to the wall and opened his hidden drawer, intent on dressing himself as handsome as he could for the evening. But when he checked the third tux the wetness on his cheeks disturbed him too much to continue. The pain was just too much and he felt as if this was killing him.

He needed to confront Skinny to learn what this was all about and he had no idea how to do that without losing it like that again. He'd come near to hitting Skinny and just because he'd refused to follow his command! What sort of monster had he become if he couldn't even hear his only real friend out? Even if he had never done something like that before, did he really deserve it after all those years of loyalty?

Shakespeare went over to the basin and washed his face, checking his reflection in the mirror and finally dressed for his date. He felt shaken and he was anything but ready for Humphrey, but he had no choice. He could already hear the busy steps of his crew which were on deck to greet their visitor.

When he arrived on deck he was in for another surprise though: every man of his crew was staring at him with looks bordering on hate and violence. They'd captured Humphrey the moment he'd set a foot on deck and was now whimpering and… gods… peeing himself.

For a moment Shakespeare just wanted to die of embarrassment. This whole thing just couldn't be true. His softer side started to grieve; he knew he'd lost his chance with Humphrey forever, before it even started. If Humphrey was able to leave the Caspartine alive, he'd never consider coming near Shakespeare again. So the Captain-persona took over and finally bellowed "What the hell is going on here?"

He met the same defiant stares he'd already seen only a few minutes earlier on his first mate's face. Suddenly, for the very first time, he really feared for his life.

"That's for us to ask you, Captain." The second mate answered coldly.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"What did you do to Skinny?"

"He earned himself some time in the cells and that is where all of you will be for the next week if you don't stop this whole thing right now!"

"We all know your preferences for everything from your beloved England, but now you're going too far with bringing this whelp on the Caspartine."

"You had no problems with Tristan…" Shakespeare argued, not understanding a single thing about what they were meaning.

The second mate rolled his eyes. "Aye Captain. But that was different. Tristan was never a threat to Skinny."

Shakespeare was dumbstruck: "You think I'd make Humphrey my first mate? That's just stupid."

Again with the eye-rolling: "Of course not. This boy doesn't know anything about living on the Caspartine and he never will. We won't allow it."

"That's not your decision, but mine."

"If we all leave you, there will be no Captain Shakespeare anymore. If you want him, we'll be gone."

"I still don't get what all this has to do with Skinny. You all said you trusted me. I promised never to disappoint you."

"Well, you did disappoint Skinny. Alright, boys? Get him!"

Shakespeare never stood a chance. He hadn't expected the ambush in the first place and although he was quite a decent fighter he wasn't used to doing this without Skinny at his side to keep his back free. He didn't need to wait long to see his first mate though.

His crew grabbed him and tied his hands together, then they pulled him down to the cells and put him into the same cell as Skinny. His first mate was equally surprised at that action as William was himself, which reassured the man at least a little. When Skinny questioned the crew's actions and tried to leave the cell he was locked up with William.

"What the hell's going on here?" Skinny yelled as everybody left except for the second mate.

"We all are fed up with both of you. Either you two work this out, or we all will leave and find us another ship. This can't go on. If you both have come back to your senses, you'll get out of here.

"You can't…" William contradicted but earned only a slight smile.

"We already did. Now work this out!"

"What about Humphrey?" Shakespeare dreaded the answer, but it really needed to get asked.

"He'll get to England in one piece and breathing, if that's what you're asking, Captain. But I don't think he'll ever want to come to Fairy again."

With those last words the second mate left and closed the door behind him.

The following silence was deafening and Shakespeare started, when Skinny suddenly spoke up.

"What happened to your eye, Captain?" his first mate had made a few steps in his direction and had already lifted his hand to inspect the quickly purpling bruise. It was a reminder of the fight he'd lost only a few minutes ago.

"Don't touch me!" William reeled back and slapped Skinny's hand away. "This is all your fault!"

"But…" Skinny tried to contradict, but Shakespeare was now on a rant.

"No 'buts' anymore! I'm tired of it! Why couldn't you let me be happy for once?"

Had he looked sad and concerned a moment ago, Skinny was looking annoyed and angry now:

"As if this whelp could have made you happy. Don't make me laugh! He doesn't know shit about you, Captain."

"He at least knew what it meant to be with another man!"

"That doesn't mean he would have been able to be with you!"

Both men were breathing hard because of all the yelling, but suddenly Shakespeare grimaced and protectively held his ribs.

"Are there more wounds than just the eye?" Skinny instantly changed in his mother hen mode and took a few steps in the direction of his captain. This time Shakespeare didn't have the energy left to push him away.

"I'm fine." He snapped, sitting down hard on the cell's floor trying to get his breath back.

"Let me have a look at this! Are there only bruises or actual bleeding wounds?"

"There's nothing I couldn't handle on my own." Shakespeare answered defiantly.

"Don't be silly. You could get an infection if you're wounds aren't cared for properly." Skinny knelt beside his Captain and ignored his tries to push him away. He carefully peeled the Captain's jacket off and opened his shirt, to reveal a still bleeding sword wound. It wasn't deep but surely hurt like hell.

"See, it's nothing."

Skinny's sigh sounded tired. "You know that you don't need to pretend to be the tough Captain around me. I can see how much this must hurt. I've had some sword wounds myself and I know they do."

Shakespeare looked grim as he answered: "Well, it's nothing to the pain I felt when my oldest friend betrayed me."

Now Skinny looked grim too. "Well, I didn't think my oldest friend would hurt me so much that I had to."

"I didn't do anything." Shakespeare protested hissing as Skinny tested how serious the wound was.

"You brought that whelp here and just assumed I'd go along with it."

Skinny grabbed for the bottle of cheap whiskey he always brought with him and used it to disinfect the thankfully not serious wound. Shakespeare tensed and hissed again but showed no further discomfort, so Skinny took the shirt and started to rip it to pieces for a makeshift bandage.

"Hey, that's my best shirt!" Shakespeare tried to stop Skinny from destroying the garment but his side hurt too much to be a threat to the shorter but more muscled man.

"That's also wrong." Skinny said shortly ignoring any protest and calmly finishing his work.

"Why do you say that? It's from Wall and had cost me a fortune."

"I know." Skinny nodded.

Shakespeare rolled his eyes "So why do you say this isn't my best shirt?"

"Because it isn't."

Shakespeare looked really annoyed now but at least this banter was distracting him from their position. "So which is my best shirt then in your opinion?"

"The one you wear under your Captain's jacket. It's totally you and not this… this rubbish here."

In all of his time as Captain of the Caspartine he hadn't felt the need to blush. But this time, he did. That made Skinny look funny at him and raise an eyebrow.

"Did you really think I don't know the story of that shirt? That you wanted to have it because of the lace and because it was easy to wash blood stains out? Because it is the perfect mix of your two personas? You looked for it for ages. Just like you needed so long to choose your name. I was there the whole time. Don't you remember?"

Now Skinny looked sad and Shakespeare felt bad for having hurt his friend.

"Of course I remember you. You were just a small boy, the cabin boy of my father. You were an orphan and taking care of you was the only nice thing I'd ever seen my father do. I saw you growing up to be his most loyal servant."

Now Skinny looked even sadder and William didn't know what to say anymore.

"You got that wrong too." He finally whispered sounding pained. "It wasn't your father I was always loyal to, William."

_I was loyal only to you. _He left it unsaid, but both could hear it in the following silence. William remembered that Skinny had known his secrets even as a small boy. He was the one who helped him to hide his belongings from the always skeptical eyes of his father. He was the one who told him in which port to find men who felt the same. He also remembered that he never asked the small boy why he did all this without ever asking for something in return.

Meanwhile Skinny had finished patching Shakespeare up and was now rummaging again in his countless pockets. He finally pulled out some bread and cheese and an apple.

"You hungry, Captain?"

William shook his head. He couldn't eat until this nightmare was over.

"Why did you always help me and now suddenly you sabotage my happiness, now that I'd finally found a man I could be with openly?" William sounded weary and felt much older than he actually was.

"Because that whelp wouldn't bring you any happiness. He'd…" Skinny broke suddenly off, looking guilty, as if he'd said already too much.

"He'd what?" William prodded, sensing the crucial moment "Please, tell me, Nathaniel."

Skinny's head whipped around in shock "You haven't called me that in years, Captain."

Shakespeare found a rueful smile. "Perhaps I should have. It would have reminded me, that you actually are my best friend not only my well functioning first mate. I'm sorry I was a bad friend to you. I should have seen earlier, that this whole affair was bothering you."

It was very hard to notice, but the faint red tinge on Nathaniel's cheeks was still there under the usual smudges on his face, from working the machines.

"I didn't mean for you to hear…" Nathaniel admitted suddenly looking sheepish.

"So what changed?" Shakespeare gently prodded again "Tell me what he'd do to me."

"He'd…" Nathaniel crossed his arms defiantly but suddenly sighed and looked away, mumbling something.

"I didn't catch that. What would he do?"

"He'd take you away from us and I couldn't let that happen." Nathaniel suddenly yelled enraged and instantly was ashamed that he'd said the words at all.

William was at a loss for words. This was the reason why he was so angry at him? Really? He stared incredulous at his first mate and best friend and suddenly laughed whole heartedly.

Nathaniel looked even more angry and defiant. "What?"

"You… you… " William hiccuped, managing to annoy Nathaniel even more "you actually thought I could leave you? All of you? The Caspartine?"

Nathaniel looked away in embarrassment, but when he looked back, his features were hardened, a sadness underlying his tone that tore at William's heart.

"Yeah, actually I do."

"But why?"

"Because you never saw this as the place where you belong. This ship, this crew, this world. The only thing you wished for was to get rid of this responsibility and leave. We need you… I… need you…"

Nathaniel's voice trailed off as he felt his throat close up with emotion. He'd never meant to tell his captain this, but since William had met this weak and stupid whelp, Nathaniel had felt like he was constantly falling. His world had been turned upside down and this had been the only way he knew how to react.

William just stared at him in astonishment. Did that really mean what he thought it meant? Did Nathaniel even know what he was saying? He searched Nathaniel's eyes for the truth and was shocked to see that his first mate had always known the truth. That he had always loved him and that he had just been too blind to see it before.

Now he saw it, but hadn't the slightest idea how to react on it. Nathaniel took his hesitation for rejection and suddenly stood up, bringing as much space between them as was possible in that small enclosed cell. He crossed his arm looking defiant and hurt.

"I know that you'd never want me." He spat. "I'm not _English _enough for you, right? I'm just stupid old Skinny who is good enough to be your first mate but not your lover."

"That's not…" William tried to interrupt Nathaniel's rant but didn't get far.

"Shut it. I'm not interested in it anymore. You know what? Go! Leave us. I won't care anymore if you do. Take your little whelp and leave this world."

"Would you please listen…"

"No!" Nathaniel yelled, then suddenly his angry face cracked and showed only misery. "Please, don't." he suddenly begged. "It's bad enough to bear your rejection. I won't be able to stand you apologizing for not returning my feelings. I just won't."

He suddenly sat down, hugging his knees hard to his chest, burying his face in them. William was sure that he wasn't weeping but only because he knew that the other man hadn't wept since he lost his parents as a child. There were no tears left, although he sure looked as if he needed some right now.

William didn't think twice about it as he rose and made his way over to the other man kneeling down beside him.

"Go away." Nathaniel's voice sounded thin as it was muffled against his knees and it lacked conviction, which made William smile.

"Look at me." He said softly and wasn't surprised when Nathaniel just shook his head.

"Nathaniel, look at me!" William had used his 'Captain-voice' and Nathaniel had reacted on instinct as his head rose. When he looked up he saw the most promising smile on William's lips he'd ever seen.

"I never rejected you, Nathaniel."

For a moment Nathaniel looked like the proverbial child with his fingers in the cookie jar. He desperately wanted to hope this meant what he wanted it to, but he was still skeptical:

"What about Humphrey?"

"Forget that stupid whelp. He has nothing on you. I just never thought you would want an old goat like me…"

He had wanted to say more, but he couldn't, as Nathaniel suddenly lunged forward and efficiently shut him up. There was too much teeth and tongue for it to be a good kiss, but what it lacked in style it sure made up in enthusiasm. William's lips felt bruised afterwards and he was panting heavily, but he didn't mind it at all as he saw the content and happy smile on Nathaniel's lips. The first mate's lips didn't look any better and he was also panting, but they weren't stopped by that. Their teeth clashed as they met again, kissing hungrily as if they were starving. They probably had been hungry for each other over years and had never known about the feelings of the other.

William can't remember when and how exactly he'd landed on his back but he sure enjoyed Nathaniel's exploring hands on the exposed skin of his ribs and arms. He was swept away by Nathaniel's passion and his obvious need to touch him, although his shivering hands and occasionally insecure fumbling showed his inexperience in the matters of flesh. For a moment his Captain persona reared its head and demanded that he take the lead as he obviously was the one better experienced in this, but Nathaniel picked quickly up on him tensing and broke the kiss to mumble:

"Just let me do this. You don't need to be the Captain here, William. I'll take care of you."

With an explosive sigh William relaxed as he let go of the tension. Nathaniel was right, more so than he probably knew.

"You always take good care of me, Nathaniel. I do trust you. Please never doubt that. I just wondered… why you've never done this before."

Skinny blushed, feeling caught and looked away. Then he mumbled something, which William could only decipher after replaying it in his head.

"I only ever wanted you."

This time it was William who pulled the other man into a passionate kiss before talking against his lips.

"Go on then. Show me of what you fantasized about doing to me."

That sure was nothing Nathaniel needed to get told twice. Within minutes he stripped Shakespeare down to nothing, while he quickly got rid of his own shirt. His hands were everywhere and William soon was sweating and moaning under his ministrations, begging for any release and friction on his so far neglected erection. Nathaniel grinned, then slowly started to kiss and lick a wet trail over his mouth, his scratchy throat, his left nipple down to the hairline around his navel. To Nathaniel's surprise William's hands suddenly grabbed his ears, as his hair was too short to get a good grip on. He expected to get pushed into the direction further south, but was instead pulled up.

"Did I do something wrong?" Nathaniel sounded very insecure, something that rarely happened and William hurried to reassure him that everything was fine.

"No, I don't want them see you doing this. Kiss and touch me and I'll be fine."

"I don't care. They can think about it what they want." Skinny contradicted but was interrupted by William.

"But I do. You're not the only one who is jealous. And I don't want anybody else to see you when you do that for me." He growled low in his throat using his captain-voice. It had the desired effect as Nathaniel moaned softly and shivered at the words.

Nathaniel finally nodded although reluctantly so.

"What else do you want to do then? We don't have anything to…"

"I know, neither have we the time for the proper preparation. This first time, I just want your hand against my dick and your tongue in my mouth and I'll be fine. I want to kiss you when I come, so that I know I'm finally doing this with you."

Nathaniel's pupil's dilated and he moaned softly at William's words. It seemed as if he liked the prospect of that particular action. But just as Nathaniel dove back in to ravish his captain, William stopped him again to open his pants with a lewd look on his face. With two sharp pulls and some minor adjustment he positioned them against each other dick to dick, lying on their sides facing each other.

Nathaniel looked disorientated but followed William's lead as his captain pressed a kiss to his lips and whispered against them: "Give me your hand!"

Nathaniel obediently lifted the asked for body part and watched wide-eyed as William pulled it to his mouth. He licked obscenely across it, relishing in Nathaniel's surprised gasp as he sucked the middle finger inside his mouth. He coated it thoroughly with saliva before moving on to the next and the next. Nathaniel obviously had difficulties staying quiet through the ordeal and rubbed against William's body, but tried not to put too much friction on his already very strained dick. He was near coming already, just lying there and having the assurance that they'd finally do this after all those long years of solitude.

Finally William seemed content with his work and dove in for another breathtaking kiss. Nathaniel responded in kind and only halfheartedly realized that both erections were aligned and his own hand positioned around them. Only when William's hand closed around his own fist he felt what was going on and broke the kiss to moan.

"Ready to fly together?"

Such a cliché, but despite their arousal both man chuckled at William's utterly ridiculous words. Then William's hand started to move and all other thought left both their minds. They actually flew together, kissing, moaning and feeling as one although the act itself lasted only a few more seconds. Nathaniel was the first one to lose it, exploding into his fist and bathing in the warm golden glow of his orgasm. William didn't take more than a few seconds to follow him in his bliss until they collapsed in a sweaty, entangled heap on the floor.

For a short while there wasn't anything to be heard inside the cell but harsh breathing and the sound of soft stroking. Then William broke the silence.

"We should get dressed and call for the second mate to let us out." William hated to be so unromantic, but he really longed for the privacy of his own quarters to do this. And he wanted a bath – preferably with Nathaniel in it - to enjoy it properly after a day like this.

"Yeah." With a deep and sad sounding sigh Nathaniel entangled from William's death-grip on him. He wiped himself clean with the rest of William's shirt as it already lay in shreds, then he gave it to his captain, so that he also could clean himself up.

"Thanks." William mumbled and also stood from the hard and unforgiving floor. God he really longed for a proper bed now. Thankfully he had planned a little holiday away from the ship, so he and Nathaniel wouldn't be needed for the next two days.

William was silent as he watched the other man dress. His mind was full of things he wanted to do to and with his first mate. Nathaniel, who seemed skittish and insecure anyway, misinterpreted his silence:

"Are you having second thoughts, Captain?"

"No, of course not." William reassured "I'm just still trying to understand why you would want me. I know why you would want 'the Captain' but" he looked away in shame and embarrassment "Why 'the whoopsie'?"

Nathaniel didn't say anything for a moment, as he wasn't sure he could answer this question with the truth. But as he saw the misery in William's eyes it suddenly was easy, as the words really needed to be said.

"You… I think… you look really hot in those dresses."

William's blush suddenly matched that of his new partner. God, what a ridiculous thing to say. He looked old and wrinkled and disgusting in those, at least William felt that way since Septimus caught him wearing them. But Nathaniel wasn't finished.

"I know you stopped wearing them, but… would you wear them for me? You… are beautiful in them."

William had the sudden urge to weep of joy as he leaned into kiss Nathaniel's lips chastely. Thankfully he didn't as suddenly the door sprang open to reveal the second mate coming in. He was grinning from ear to ear, while the other two men continued to bring their clothes back to a decent order.

"Look what we got here. So you two are finally together? We all thought you'd never get out of your stupor."

"Does that mean you'll set us free?" William asked.

For someone who was intelligent enough to see what had been between them all along, their second mate was behaving very stupid now.

"Of course. We should celebrate."

_Oh we will _William thought and didn't need to look at his partner to know that Nathaniel was thinking exactly the same. _But not in the way you think, my friend. _He felt how tense Nathaniel's body was and how ready to fight and blood thirsty. Now, that the Captain had Skinny back to watch his back, their crew wouldn't stand a chance against them. They sure were in for a little punishment after the stunt they'd pulled on them. Just as the second mate unlocked the door and Skinny was ready to jump, William hadn't felt that alive and happy in what felt like ages.

There was time for romance later, time to fulfill the needs of William and Nathaniel. From now on they had all eternity to do that together. But first Captain Shakespeare and Skinny needed some good, old-fashioned, manly pirate-fun.

"Rrraaaaahh!"

…

**Endless End**

**Finished on a train 5****th ****September 2010**


End file.
